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Brasilia (Agenzia Fides) - The Bishops' Commission for the Missions of the Bishops' Conference of Brazil (CNBB) and the Pontifical Mission Societies, are promoting the fourth edition of the "Day of Prayer and Mission" for July 1, which will be dedicated to peace in Mozambique. The country is a battlefield for the violence of armed groups, after having faced nearly 20 years of civil war, between the 70s and 90s, with more than 1 million deaths and a trail of infrastructure destruction, which have affected directly the national economy, the effects of which still last today. The territory of Mozambique borders Tanzania (to the north), Malawi (to the north-west), Zambia and Zimbabwe (to the west), South Africa and Swaziland (to the south-west), as well as being bathed by the Indian Ocean. In the note sent to Fides, the councilor of the Commission for Missionary Action and Inter-ecclesial Cooperation of the CNBB, Father Daniel Rochetti, explains that the "Days of Prayer and Mission" have taught that prayer supports the mission of the Church in different parts of the world and in various situations in which the poorest and most needy people need the proclamation of faith and the service of charity. "In this way we motivate people to understand that prayer also becomes a mission, when we carry that particular intention in our hearts, in the prayer of the Rosary, in the participation in the Mass. The pontifical magisterium always emphasizes the importance of contributing to the mission with life, with prayer and financial aid, giving support to the missionaries in that particular country", underlines Father Daniel.
The Catholic Church of Brazil has long been involved in missionary work in the African country. In the archdiocese of Nampula, north of Mozambique, Brazilian missionaries have been present for 26 years. Since 1995, the missionaries sent by the South Region 3 of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), which brings together the entire Church of Rio Grande do Sul, have been working in the Solidarity Churches Project, which includes priests, religious and laity. There are Brazilian missionaries also in the diocese of Pemba. The mission is administered by the Region Sul 1 of the CNBB, which covers the state of São Paulo (SP), since 2018. In the region of Dombe, which is located in the diocese of Chimoio, the "Fazenda da Esperança" has been established since 2006, a Catholic therapeutic community that welcomes drug addicts and people suffering from other addictions. The Day of Prayer and Mission is part of a series of initiatives that highlight the value of prayer as "missionary action", proposing that each Catholic dedicate time each day to pray for the country. To join this prayer chain, the hashtag rezepormocambique is used on social media. (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 24/6/2021)
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